SAYouth Teacher Assistant Interview Questions and Answers, Teaching Assistant & General School Assistant Interview questions. Prepare yourself for your interview at SA Youth by browsing Interview questions and processes from real candidates.
You don’t need to memorize an answer, but do take the time to consider how you’ll respond. The more you prepare, the more confident you’ll feel during a job interview.
SAYouth Teacher Assistant Interview Questions and Answers
When you’re not sure what to expect during an interview, also take time to review this refresher on how to answer SAYouth Teacher Assistant interviews work, and these tips on how to prepare to ace your job interview.
12 SAYouth Teacher Assistant Interview Questions and Answers
1. Why do you think you’re qualified to be an education assistant?
An education assistant is a subordinate position that requires applicants to work well with their immediate supervisors and children. This question asks applicants if they’ve thought about the reasons they want to be an education assistant and what they bring to the position. What to look for:
Applicant’s’ interest in being an education assistant
What skills candidates bring to the role
knowledge of working with youngsters
Example:
“I had previously worked at a basic after-school programme. I discovered that I liked working with young children when I was working there. As an education assistant, I think I’ll be able to be more involved in a child’s daily learning and pass along some of my love for learning to my kids, making school more fun for them.
2. Why do you want to be an aide in a classroom?
Answer:
There are many reasons why people want to know how to become a Teaching Assistant. But most people go into this field because they want to work with kids and help them reach their full potential. This is a good reason, but a more creative and personal answer to this common Teaching Assistant interview question is more likely to stick out.
Think back to your time in school and try to remember how a Teaching Assistant or Teacher helped you. Then, think about how you’d like to do the same thing as a Teaching Assistant.
Or, you could compare the role of a Teaching Assistant to other jobs you’ve had before you started looking for Teaching Assistant jobs.
“Being a Teaching Assistant is harder, more interesting, and more important than anything else I’ve done. I want to work in a field where I can make a real difference in people’s lives and see the good results of my work firsthand. I remember how much time my Teaching Assistant in sixth grade spent getting me ready for my SATs math test. That help was very important to me, and I want to be able to help others in the same way.”
3. Why do you think you’d make a good Teaching Assistant?
Answer:
Professional teaching assistants are expected to work hard, be friendly, be good with kids, and come up with new ideas. Even though it’s a good idea to talk about these qualities in your Teaching Assistant interview, they are pretty basic. We think it would help your answer if you gave specific examples of how you live up to these qualities.
Try to think outside the box and come up with some less obvious qualities that will make you stand out in your Teaching Assistant job interview.
Make a list of all the things teaching assistants do every day. Read through this list and explain why you would be good at each of the things that are usually on a Teaching Assistant job description.
“I could be a good Teaching Assistant because I work hard, am easy to talk to, and get along well with kids, among other things. I have a lot of patience and am willing to spend as much time as a child needs on one subject, word, or math problem. I also have a lot of ideas. This lets me come up with creative ideas, eye-catching displays, and fun games to keep the kids interested and on task.
4. What makes you want to work at this school?
Answer:
Schools want to hire people who plan to stick around. This is because of a lot of things, but mostly because it’s important for teaching assistants to get to know the kids they help. Many people who want to hire you as a Teaching Assistant will ask you this question to see if you are serious about the job. They might even be checking to see how much you know about the school.
It’s a good idea to do your homework and have a few useful bits of information on hand. For instance, if a school has done well at something, you should say so.
Go to the news website for your area and search for the name of the school. You might find information about the programs, achievements, or fundraising events they’ve been a part of.
“I want to work as a Teaching Assistant at this school because it has a strong commitment to arts, performances, and activities outside of the classroom. I think that creative subjects are just as important as academic ones, and that kids should be able to have fun while they learn. I also think there will be plenty of room for me to grow professionally here because the school has gotten good reviews.”
5. Can you tell us about a time when you worked with kids?
Answer:
For this kind of job, it makes sense that employers will want to know how you get along with kids. If you have worked with kids before, it shouldn’t be hard to think of a time when what you did made things better. Even if you’ve never worked with kids before, you can still answer these and other common Teaching Assistant interview questions.
Think back to a time when you spent time with kids in your family or circle of friends.
Even simple things like playing hide-and-seek with your kids or watching your niece or nephew do his or her homework would count.
Model Answer:
“I haven’t been a Teaching Assistant in a formal way, but I have worked with and cared for kids many times. I used to be a Nanny for three little boys. As part of my job, I would pick them up from school and watch them until their parents got home at 8 p.m. Since they didn’t like doing their homework, I made a game for them to help make it more fun. The game turned homework into a relay, and in between questions, the kids had fun tasks to do. Soon, the kids were the ones who asked for homework. I think that making tasks that are usually boring into something more fun is a great way to get the attention of young students, and I would use this in my Teaching Assistant jobs.
Schools want to hire people who plan to stick around. This is because of a lot of things, but mostly because it’s important for teaching assistants to get to know the kids they help. Many people who want to hire you as a Teaching Assistant will ask you this question to see if you are serious about the job. They might even be checking to see how much you know about the school.
It’s a good idea to do your homework and have a few useful bits of information on hand. For instance, if a school has done well at something, you should say so.
Go to the news website for your area and search for the name of the school. You might find information about the programs, achievements, or fundraising events they’ve been a part of.
“I want to work as a Teaching Assistant at this school because it has a strong commitment to arts, performances, and activities outside of the classroom. I think that creative subjects are just as important as academic ones, and that kids should be able to have fun while they learn. I also think there will be plenty of room for me to grow professionally here because the school has gotten good reviews.”
6. Tell me about a time you effectively convinced a child to complete an assignment they didn’t want to do initially.
Education assistant have to know how to work with kids even when they don’t want to do their work. This question allows applicants to demonstrate their ability to work with students when they aren’t cooperative. What to look for:
Conflict resolution skills
Interpersonal skills with kids
Ability to encourage students
Example:
“In my last position at the after-school program, we regularly completed various arts and crafts projects. In one case, there was an origami project one child was struggling to complete, and she announced, rather loudly, that the project was stupid and she wasn’t going to finish it. Instead of being frustrated with the child, I picked up the pieces, sat her down and explained we could complete the project together. Walking her through it, we completed the project and she couldn’t have been more proud of herself.”
7. Can you tell us about a time when you worked with kids?
Answer:
For this kind of job, it makes sense that employers will want to know how you get along with kids. If you have worked with kids before, it shouldn’t be hard to think of a time when what you did made things better. Even if you’ve never worked with kids before, you can still answer these and other common Teaching Assistant interview questions.
Think back to a time when you spent time with kids in your family or circle of friends.
Even simple things like playing hide-and-seek with your kids or watching your niece or nephew do his or her homework would count.
Model Answer:
“I haven’t been a Teaching Assistant in a formal way, but I have worked with and cared for kids many times. I used to be a Nanny for three little boys. As part of my job, I would pick them up from school and watch them until their parents got home at 8 p.m. Since they didn’t like doing their homework, I made a game for them to help make it more fun. The game turned homework into a relay, and in between questions, the kids had fun tasks to do. Soon, the kids were the ones who asked for homework. I think that making tasks that are usually boring into something more fun is a great way to get the attention of young students, and I would use this in my Teaching Assistant jobs.
8. What Does a Good Lesson Look Like?
Answer:
Even though you are not in charge of planning lessons as a Teaching Assistant, it is still important to know what a good lesson looks like. If you can figure out what is most important in a lesson, you will be a better education assistant.
Think about what goes into making a lesson. For example, the materials, the way the seats are set up, the activities, and the way the class is run all play a big role in a lesson.
Use what you’ve learned from working or going to school in the past. Talk about the lessons you think worked and the ones that didn’t.
“Many things go into making a good lesson. Something can work one day and not work the next. I think preparation is the most important thing to think about. If both the Teacher and the Teaching Assistant are ready for the lesson, it will usually go well. Learning about the human body was one of my favorite subjects in school. “Body Part Bingo” is a game that our teacher made up. We were all able to remember the specialized words because the event was so well-planned and fun. Without the Teaching Assistant calming us down and checking our answers, that lesson could not have happened.”
9. What would you do if a student was making a lot of noise in class?
Answer:
It’s very important for a Teaching Assistant to be able to work with the Teacher to calm down situations that are making trouble. There needs to be some discipline, but there are also a lot of better ways for teaching assistants to deal with these problems.
It might be helpful to suggest some other, more positive ways you could deal with the situation.
Model Answer:
“It’s important for a Teaching Assistant to work with the Teacher to calm down kids who are acting up. Most of the time, I would follow the Teacher’s plan for how to deal with bad behavior. This could mean putting the kids in separate rooms or having a quiet talk with a child who is making trouble. If a student was always making trouble, I might suggest to the Teacher that we come up with a different way to deal with the problem. For example, we could try to give the child a reward for being quiet before they act out.”
10. Can you give me some examples of how you would help make the school a safer place for kids to be?
Answer:
All schools are responsible for keeping children safe, so don’t be surprised if there are questions about safety in the Teaching Assistant interview. As a TA, it’s important to know what your role is in terms of safety and to be able to give examples of things to watch out for and possible solutions to problems with safety.
Look into the current problems with school safety. Find out what the most common problems are that schools are having right now.
Talk to a child in your family about safety. Find out what makes them feel safe and use that information in your answer to this common Teaching Assistant interview question.
Model Answer:
“First and foremost, I would find out what safety measures the school has in place. Then I would do my best to find anything that could be a problem, no matter how small. Seeing a problem early on can make all the difference. I would also make sure that any problems were told to the right people. During this process, I would take the child’s feelings and wishes into account and make sure they could trust me.
11. What Does a Good Lesson Look Like?
Answer:
Even though you are not in charge of planning lessons as a Teaching Assistant, it is still important to know what a good lesson looks like. If you can figure out what is most important in a lesson, you will be a better education assistant.
Think about what goes into making a lesson. For example, the materials, the way the seats are set up, the activities, and the way the class is run all play a big role in a lesson.
Use what you’ve learned from working or going to school in the past. Talk about the lessons you think worked and the ones that didn’t.
“Many things go into making a good lesson. Something can work one day and not work the next. I think preparation is the most important thing to think about. If both the Teacher and the Teaching Assistant are ready for the lesson, it will usually go well. Learning about the human body was one of my favorite subjects in school. “Body Part Bingo” is a game that our teacher made up. We were all able to remember the specialized words because the event was so well-planned and fun. Without the Teaching Assistant calming us down and checking our answers, that lesson could not have happened.”
12. What would you do if a student was making a lot of noise in class?
Answer:
It’s very important for a Teaching Assistant to be able to work with the Teacher to calm down situations that are making trouble. There needs to be some discipline, but there are also a lot of better ways for teaching assistants to deal with these problems.
It might be helpful to suggest some other, more positive ways you could deal with the situation.
Model Answer:
“It’s important for a Teaching Assistant to work with the Teacher to calm down kids who are acting up. Most of the time, I would follow the Teacher’s plan for how to deal with bad behavior. This could mean putting the kids in separate rooms or having a quiet talk with a child who is making trouble. If a student was always making trouble, I might suggest to the Teacher that we come up with a different way to deal with the problem. For example, we could try to give the child a reward for being quiet before they act out.”
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